


more important than you know

by peachsneakers



Series: flufftober [27]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Food, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Movie Night, Platonic Dukeceit - Freeform, Suicidal Thoughts, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit | Janus Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28851042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers
Summary: Janus is invited to movie night.
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: flufftober [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969483
Comments: 13
Kudos: 110





	more important than you know

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: half written

_Dear Remus, Virgil, Logan, Roman, and Patton,_

_I'd say I hope this finds you well, but that would be a lie, wouldn't it? I have a sneaking suspicion it won't. Perhaps that's just wishful thinking. After all, it isn't like most of you have any desire for me to be here in the first place (yes, Remus, I know that you do)._

_It's probably obvious by now, but perhaps I should just come out and say something bluntly for once in my life. I'm ducking out. It's for the best, I believe. After all, you don't want Thomas to be a_ liar _, do you? So there you have it. I quit. I'm tired of this. I'm tired of never being truly accepted or supported. I'm tired of the suspicion, always cast my way and my way alone, save for the few times you turn it on Remus. I'm tired of--_

There's a knock on the door. Janus frowns and sets down his pen, scrubbing at his eyes with a handkerchief before rising and sauntering to the door. He has an image to protect, after all. At least for the moment.

It's Patton, shifting nervously from foot to foot. Janus scowls, ready to verbally flay the other side, when Morality speaks up, all his words running into the next.

"Wouldyouliketocometomovienight?"

"Pardon?" Janus asks, startled. He could _not_ have heard that correctly. Not from _Patton_ , of all people. Patton takes a deep breath and repeats it, slower.

"Would you like to come to movie night?"

"Me?" Janus asks, his tone thick with doubt. Patton winces at that, then nods firmly.

"Of course!" He chirps, like this is in any way an ordinary request. "Re- Remus will be there, too!" Janus's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline at that little tidbit. Patton is willing to let _Remus_ come?

"All right," comes out of his mouth, almost unbidden. He nearly claps a hand over his own mouth upon hearing it. Patton was obviously just joking, it's some sort of cruel prank, it's-

"It's at seven," Patton informs him. "See you soon!" And he turns and nearly _skips_ away, leaving a dumbfounded Janus in his wake.

_I'm not going to go,_ he tells himself, ignoring the half-written sob story on his desk as he paces back and forth. _It's all some sick joke. That's all. Maybe Patton thinks it's genuine, but the_ others _-_

_Virgil-_

Tears bloom in the corners of his eyes and he sniffs inelegantly, summoning a handkerchief to dab at them. _Fuck it,_ he decides. They claim to want him there. He knows the truth. Maybe their poor treatment of him will give him the push he needs to go through with it all. To _actually_ duck out. Unlike Virgil's attempt, he has no illusion about what will happen if he does it. There will be no haphazard rescue attempt. Thomas will not show up in the mind palace, watery-eyed and desperate. It will mean _nothing_.

Just like him.

When seven o'clock rolls around, he straightens his outfit, slouches his hat low on his head, and strides out the door, heading for the living room.

Hours later, he stumbles back in, a giddy smile threatening to take over his face. He is exhausted, but it is the soft, pleasant type of sleepiness, the kind that promises sweet dreams and not so much as a tinge of nightmare. The kind that vows that he will fall asleep immediately, not take hours tossing and turning. His mind is full of Disney show tunes, most notably from _The Jungle Book_ (for Roman had asked his favorite Disney film and startled, Janus had answered honestly), Remus's more interesting edits to said show tunes, and Patton's puns. Virgil hadn't been the most friendly of sides, but he hadn't hissed once, and he'd even _smiled_ when Janus walked in. Like he _wanted_ to see the personification of deception stroll in through the door.

His stomach is also pleasantly full of buttered popcorn and extra cheesy nachos (the second batch, as Patton had managed to set fire to the first batch somehow, and Logan had to run into the kitchen with the fire extinguisher). He had shared a bowl with Remus and not batted an eyelash when eyeballs suddenly plopped in with the popcorn, although Patton had screamed. Roman scolded his brother for five minutes, while all Janus (and Virgil) could do was laugh helplessly. Every time he caught Virgil's eyes again, he burst into a fresh bout of laughter.

Then there was the onesie tax. Roman had snapped his fingers and suddenly, Janus found himself in a snake onesie. Remus lounged in his own octopus onesie, complete with fuzzy stuffed tentacles.

"Jan Jan!" Remus had squealed, nearly knocking him off his feet as he barrelled into him. Janus might have cried a little at the enthusiastic greeting and Remus, more perceptive than anyone (including himself) ever gave him credit for, let Janus bury his face in his neck for a few minutes as he pulled himself together.

Patton had left him a place of honor on the couch, next to Logan, who nodded cordially, and Roman, who actually _smiled_ at him. Every word, every action, everything... Janus had never felt so _wanted_ in his life.

As he stumbles toward his bed, the tear-splotched paper on his desk catches his eye. Without even thinking, he crumples it up and tosses it into the waste bin. He can't even imagine ducking out now.

Maybe not ever again.


End file.
